


Stone Skipping

by Lord_Jay



Category: Magi: Adventure of Sinbad (Anime), Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Hakuto is an OC, He’s literally someone born and raised in Magi, Not an SI or Reincarnation, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, disclaimer: Magi ain’t mine, the guy has no idea what a toaster is
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:07:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27325534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lord_Jay/pseuds/Lord_Jay
Summary: Fate is like a river, ever-flowing, ever-lasting, only without a destination, but rivers can be disrupted. A single stone can change its flow forever, a few oddly placed stones can alter it’s course completely.Add an OC in a convenient setting and watch the shit that unfolds with him there.Rewrite of the original Stone Skipping
Kudos: 13





	Stone Skipping

Hakuto’s birth was a quiet affair. 

No, that wasn’t right, it was as loud as any birthing was, with many screams from the mother and eventual wails from the child as they take their first breaths. And although his birth was nothing like the birth of Sinbad two years ago, it was special in its own right. 

Not just because Hakuto is the third prince, but also because any moment of childbirth was special to their parents — Hakuto’s birth was as magical and special to the Emperor as the birth of the first two Imperial Princes, both five and two of age respectively at the moment. 

Holding the bundle of cloth in front of him, Hakutoku marveled at how tiny his children are, had he been like this as a baby? Hakutoku couldn’t remember, but he decided it was hardly worthy of discussion, what matters now was to introduce his new son to his brothers. 

—

Hakuren scowled at the little face in the silk bundle. Father had came in a few minutes prior to present the little kid to them. Them, as in Hakuren and his elder brother, Hakuyuu. 

_“This is your new brother.”_

Father must’ve been mistaken, this little pink bag of flesh couldn’t possibly be related to him and honorable brother, what had he been thinking? His scowl deepened further into a frown as the maids fawned over the little _thing_ in Hakuyuu’s arms. 

Then Hakuto giggled. 

It. _Giggled._

And _goddammit_ was it the sweetest sound Hakuren had heard in his admittedly short life of two years. 

Hakuyuu had merely smiled wider as he gently rocked the child as best as his tiny, stubby five-year-old arm could, stubbornly keeping his new little brother away from the cooing maids. Hakuren watched with wonder as the little pink bag of flesh proceeds to cry aloud as he was separated from Hakuyuu by the maids. 

Hakuren smirked, at least the kid had taste. 

—

Feng was no fool. 

That much was obvious to anyone who met him, or heard of his position as the royal tutor for Hakuto-sama. 

Being a descendant from the Yambala tribe, Feng was especially attuned to magoi — and by extension, the rukh. The old tutor would not be so conceited as to say he was able to see them — he was not one of the esteemed magicians despite his seemingly infinite wisdom — but he can hear them. Their chirps carry messages to Feng that even some magicians have trouble understanding. 

That was why, when the Lord Emperor had came to him, late at night with his highness Hakuto-sama in a trembling pile. One look and he knew what had occurred most likely mere minutes ago. 

_Ah. The Third Prince had experienced his first assassination._

Although it is rather early, this was something bound to happen to anyone of the royal family. Prince Hakuren had his during the first few weeks of his fifth year and Prince Hakuyuu had managed to escape the one after him on his fourth birthday. 

In a way, the assassins are a rite of passage for the royal family, it meant that someone had deemed the young prince a threat enough to spend money to have him gone. It was a test for the prince from the court. 

Was Feng surprised when, the very next day, the Third Imperial Prince toddled over to him after he finished his lesson and demanded he taught him how to fight? 

No, Feng can say quite proudly that he had not doubted that the prince would bounce back and demand he never had to feel fear like that again. 

He was _his_ student, afterall. 

—

As the vassal of Prince Hakuto, Yifan was proud of his Prince. 

The young royal had picked up his sword and showed his natural talent at the art of swordsplay, even at the young age of four. His highness’s strokes were smooth and natural, as if the sword was merely just another extension of himself — the epitome of talent as he sliced through straws and sticks. 

Yifan had heard many officials and generals whisper hushed words about the prince’s abilities, they claim that he had been possessed by the spirits for no child could possibly have such talent. Perhaps they hadn’t known that the prince had watched his two elder brothers spar often enough to pick up the basic forms and techniques before he had even held a blade. 

Yifan scoffed at the rumors. His prince, cursed?

As if. 

—

Yotose was your average soldier, he drank on his days off and made friends with his fellow warriors. 

He must’ve been something, however, since he was assigned to being a palace guard rather than a spot in the army like he had expected. 

As if that wasn’t odd enough, the two neighboring countries of Kou, had decided now was an amazingly right time to suddenly spark war with each other, leaving their country to fend off enemies from both sides when both Kai and Gou tried to bite at each other through Kou and—

Well, it was complicated things that the superior liked to complain and whine about, as if they were the ones fighting in the war. Yotose snorted, he didn’t think those old coots could get off their fat asses without help, much less swing a sword. Honestly, at least the princes actually train, those old bags just _loved_ getting their greedy hands on more money and land. 

But what could he possible say? Yotose is just an average soldier after all. 

Another interesting thing had happened on the same day, however, Yotose hadn’t expected for Prince Hakuto to be at the soldier training grounds, holding a bow of all things, looking at the weapon as if it was something given to him from the hands of god or something. 

Out of all the weird things that happened to Yotose that year, nothing topped the moment when he had walked over and adjusted the prince’s grip and later became officially named the prince’s official weapons master. 

He was supposed to be your average soldier, after all. 

—

Poe was the priest of the palace. 

_Was._

That post was not his anymore. Her highness, Ren Gyokuen, made that quite clear when she brought in a group of men with their faces masked by white. 

Poe had not enjoyed being a priest, but he hadn’t hated it either, he had been given the honor to bound his majesty, Emperor Hakutoku and Lady Gyokuen with his blessing for marriage. It was, without a doubt, one of his proudest moments. 

Perhaps it was because he knew that Lady Gyokuen had been acting quite odd as of late, she had willingly allowed — hell, she _suggested_ — the Emperor to take her youngest, _six year old_ son to the battlefield of the war. 

Perhaps... perhaps it was because he noticed and suspected so much, that he went to sleep one night, and never woke up the next. 

—

Hakuei turned one today. 

Of course, Hakuei doesn’t understand what “turned one” even means, she only knows that, according to mother, the day she turned one is the day her brothers and father returns from the warfront to finally, _finally_ meet her. 

Was Hakuei excited? Of course she was! The servants and maids all told her stories of how amazing her father was, they told her how her brothers had so much talent and potential yet are still so kind and generous. 

When the drums of the army sounded in the distance, echoing through the city, Hakuei clutched her mother’s hand tightly with excitement shaking her entire body, waiting eagerly to meet the men in her family. 

She wasn’t disappointed. 

Brother Hakuyuu gave off a feel of cool yet his smile filled Hakuei’s tummy with warmth. Brother Hakuren was energy, he immediately began cooing over her, squishing her cheeks and patting her hair with an adoring expression. Brother Hakuto...

Brother Hakuto (who was already seven!) appeared calm, he didn’t give off the coolness of Brother Hakuyuu, but he wasn’t as adoring as Hakuren, no, Hakuto gave off an aura of a shield, of a guardian, someone who watches over Hakuei. A loyal guard and soldier, but he also gave off an aura of sadness, a sadness that Hakuei learned came from the battlefield, the battlefield where Brother Hakuto had lost his vassal, he was sad that Yifan wasn’t coming back, but Hakuei was puzzled, why wouldn’t Yifan return like her brothers and father? Why wouldn’t he?

—

Hakuyuu felt a headache approaching as Minister Chang stalked off, away from them, face red with anger. 

Hakuren snickered next to him as the eight year old high-fived him, grinning widely as they both eyed the fat minister amusement, no doubt entertained by his frustration at his inability to insult the imperial princes without angering the Emperor. 

Of course, Hakuyuu could see that anyone would’ve been upset after being told to... errr, _“Stick his prissy noble ass somewhere that is not near his younger siblings”_ by someone who had just entered the double digits in age. 

It still didn’t change the fact that he had attempted to get Hakuei to marry his twenty year old son. 

So, yes, Hakuyuu believed that Hakuren’s words were justified. 

That still doesn’t stop him from scolding him for cursing in front of their younger siblings.

It also didn’t stop the Minister from taking pity revenge that resulted in a headache rather than complain publicly to the Emperor. 

—

Kouen was envious of Hakuto. 

He wasn’t jealous that he was apart of the imperial family, no, no, he couldn’t care less about the throne. 

He was envious of how Emperor Hakutoku was clever and honorable, fighting his battles in the field and planning sly strategies to outwit their enemies. He was envious of Hakuto’s generous and stern father, so unlike his own. 

He admired Hakuyuu and Hakuren, he admired their brightness and charisma despite the war they fought. He revered their brilliant tactics and swift executions. 

Even as he envied him however, Kouen couldn’t help but also envy his family. Their family who had such a loyal, talented person defend them with all his heart, body, and soul. Who had someone willing to dirty their hands in order to preserve the family’s honor and image as a third prince. 

_“Why’d you envy them, Kouen? You’re family too!”_

Kouen was... content with this Imperial family he served. 

—

Yuyan knew the job was risky, but she took it anyways. 

She wasn’t in need of the money, but the thrill of the job was what convinced her. It was difficult. It was straightforward. It was perfect for her. 

_Kill the Fourth Imperial Prince._

Simple enough, right?

With her skills in disguise and silent movement, this should’ve been easy, she should’ve received the money and be off to Balbadd by forenight. 

Then why is it, that she’s here, lying on the ground as her body heat slowly drain out of her as her blood clots in her throat and choking from an arrow wound?

The shadow of a young man the age of eleven stood above her. 

_Ah. That’s right._

The third prince. Of course. _He_ was the reason why Yuyan was lying on the floor, pitifully grappling her neck in an useless attempt to stop the blood from gushing out. If she could’ve, she would’ve screamed at him, screeched at how he had made this simple, straightforward task her last. But she couldn’t, so Yuyan settled for garbling instead. 

“You... little... monster—!”

The prince wasn’t fazed, his eyes were dark with unforgiving ice that didn’t fit a boy his age as he stared down at her, seemingly impassive, yet the cool _venom_ in his stare was unhidden as he wiped the arrow clean of her blood. 

_“Monster? Me? But who was it that had attempted at the life of a child not even a year old? I don’t care who you are, **no one touches my family.** ”_

—

Life as a soldier was hard. 

As one of the generals of the army, Hakuto was assigned a post in the navy, fighting off the fierce seamen of Kai while his brothers were both sent out to the barbarical plains of Gou to fight their horsemen. Despite being only fourteen, Hakuto’s men respected him enough to look to him for orders, such burden at his age made Hakuto rather eager to return home to the imperial palace and avoid the bloodshed in favor of resting and spending time with his two younger siblings. 

Of course, Hakuto knew that his return wasn’t a vacation, it was apparent that the Oracle had summoned a dungeon and father had summoned him along with his brothers back from their respective posts in order to discuss who should enter. 

Personally, Hakuto was not interested in conquering the dungeon, he was content with his position, further climbing of the military ranks wouldn’t benefit the family or the country, rather, it would likely cause internal strafe between the other generals. 

It wasn’t as if he wanted to become emperor, Hakuto would rather just stay and deal with the troublesome people who present a threat to the throne then sit on it. That job belongs to father and Hakuyuu. 

As he met up with his brothers, he was rather surprised to enter the throne room and find a man with purple hair and golden eyes entertaining father in a fashion that had his eyes glinting with interest. 

_Personal_ interest, not the interest of the country. 

It was clear to him that the man was not ordinary, even more so when he unabashedly demanded that he accompanied them to the dungeon, causing Hakuto to stare at him with shock at his blatant disregard of the royal — more importantly, _his_ — family. 

Was it really a surprise that he ended up following him?

In the future, whenever he looked back, he would laugh. 

Of course it was. 


End file.
